An inexperienced Jamaica side tumbled to a 3-0 defeat against Morocco in a four-team tournament on Tuesday after UK-based forward Jevani Brown, who had been expected to make his debut for the Reggae Boyz, withdrew from the squad.
It was not immediately known what led to the withdrawal of 27-year-old Brown, who ended up on the losing side later in the day as Exeter City lost at Gillingham on penalties in the second round of the English League Cup.
League One Exeter confirmed before kick-off that Brown, a former Young Reggae Boyz attacking midfielder, had withdrawn from the Jamaica squad, but gave no further details.
Jamaica’s first game in Vienna was canceled after Ghana arrived too late. They still have to face Qatar. Jamaica’s opponents are gearing up for this year’s World Cup in Qatar.
Ahmad Hamoudan gave the Moroccans an interval lead with a 33rd-minute goal. Mohammed Nahiri doubled the advantage from the spot on 74 minutes before Reda Slim added a third in the 80th minute.
In other League Cup action, winger Leon Bailey, a Reggae Boyz regular who chose to remain in England, added Aston Villa’s fourth with a superb finish after coming on as a 71st-minute substitute as the Premier League outfit hit back to win 4-1 at League One Bolton Wanderers.
Bailey, 25, who cut in from the right before finding the far bottom corner, capped a much-improved second-half performance by Villa following a disappointing 3-1 Premier League defeat against Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Brown’s evening ended in disappointment as League One Exeter lost 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw at League Two strugglers Gillingham, Brown having successfully converted the first spot-kick.
Jamaican Jordon Garrick, a 24-year-old winger on loan from Swansea City, scored an injury-time equalizer as League One Lincoln City went on to beat League Two side Barrow 3-1 on penalties after the game finished 2-2.
Reggae Boyz target Demarai Gray scored the winner on 28 minutes as Premier League club Everton claimed a narrow 1-0 win at League One Fleetwood Town.
Gray, 26, had not even been set to start the game but came in as a late replacement for Tom Davies, who pulled out after the warm-up, sweeping home from Alex Iwobi’s incisive pass.
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